8 CRR-NY 19.5NY-CRR

OFFICIAL COMPILATION OF CODES, RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

TITLE 8. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

CHAPTER I. RULES OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS

PART 19. EDUCATION PRACTICES

8 CRR-NY 19.5

8 CRR-NY 19.5

19.5 Prohibition of corporal punishment and aversive interventions.

(a) Prohibition of corporal punishment.

(1) No teacher, administrator, officer, employee or agent of a school district in this State, a board of cooperative educational services (BOCES), a charter school, State-operated or State-supported school, an approved preschool program, an approved private school, an approved out-of-state day or residential school, or a registered nonpublic nursery, kindergarten, elementary or secondary school in this State, shall use corporal punishment against a pupil.

(2) As used in this section, corporal punishment means any act of physical force upon a pupil for the purpose of punishing that pupil, except as otherwise provided in paragraph (3) of this subdivision.

(3) In situations in which alternative procedures and methods not involving the use of physical force cannot reasonably be employed, nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit the use of reasonable physical force for the following purposes:

(i) to protect oneself from physical injury;

(ii) to protect another pupil or teacher or any person from physical injury;

(iii) to protect the property of the school, school district or others; or

(iv) to restrain or remove a pupil whose behavior is interfering with the orderly exercise and performance of school or school district functions, powers and duties, if that pupil has refused to comply with a request to refrain from further disruptive acts.

(b) Prohibition of the use of aversive interventions.

(1) No public school, BOCES, charter school, approved preschool program, approved private school, State-operated or State-supported school in this State, approved out-of-state day or residential school, or registered nonpublic nursery, kindergarten, elementary or secondary school in this State shall employ the use of aversive behavioral interventions to reduce or eliminate maladaptive behaviors, except as provided pursuant to section 200.22(e) and (f) of this Title.

(2) As used in this section, aversive intervention means: an intervention that is intended to induce pain or discomfort to a student for the purpose of eliminating or reducing maladaptive behaviors, including such interventions as:

(ii) any form of noxious, painful or intrusive spray, inhalant or tastes;

(iii) contingent food programs that include the denial or delay of the provision of meals or intentionally altering staple food or drink in order to make it distasteful;

(iv) movement limitation used as a punishment, including but not limited to helmets and mechanical restraint devices; or

(v) other stimuli or actions similar to the interventions described in subparagraphs (i) through (iv) of this paragraph.

The term does not include such interventions as voice control, limited to loud, firm commands; time-limited ignoring of a specific behavior; token fines as part of a token economy system; brief physical prompts to interrupt or prevent a specific behavior; interventions medically necessary for the treatment or protection of the student; or other similar interventions.